The $100 Startup

Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future

By: Chris Guillebeau

Narrated by: Chris Guillebeau, Thomas Vincent Kelly

Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

In The $100 Startup, Chris Guillebeau tells you how to lead of life of adventure, meaning and purpose - and earn a good living.

Still in his early 30s, Chris is on the verge of completing a tour of every country on earth - he's already visited more than 175 nations - and yet he’s never held a "real job" or earned a regular paycheck. Rather, he has a special genius for turning ideas into income, and he uses what he earns both to support his life of adventure and to give back.

There are many others like Chris - those who've found ways to opt out of traditional employment and create the time and income to pursue what they find meaningful. Sometimes, achieving that perfect blend of passion and income doesn't depend on shelving what you currently do. You can start small with your venture, committing little time or money, and wait to take the real plunge when you're sure it's successful.

In preparing to write this book, Chris identified 1,500 individuals who have built businesses earning $50,000 or more from a modest investment (in many cases, $100 or less), and from that group he’s chosen to focus on the 50 most intriguing case studies. In nearly all cases, people with no special skills discovered aspects of their personal passions that could be monetized, and were able to restructure their lives in ways that gave them greater freedom and fulfillment.

Here, finally, distilled into one easy-to-use guide, are the most valuable lessons from those who’ve learned how to turn what they do into a gateway to self-fulfillment. It’s all about finding the intersection between your "expertise" - even if you don’t consider it such - and what other people will pay for. You don’t need an MBA, a business plan or even employees. All you need is a product or service that springs from what you love to do anyway, people willing to pay, and a way to get paid.

Not content to talk in generalities, Chris tells you exactly how many dollars his group of unexpected entrepreneurs required to get their projects up and running; what these individuals did in the first weeks and months to generate significant cash; some of the key mistakes they made along the way, and the crucial insights that made the business stick. Among Chris’s key principles: if you’re good at one thing, you’re probably good at something else; never teach a man to fish - sell him the fish instead; and in the battle between planning and action, action wins.

In ancient times, people who were dissatisfied with their lives dreamed of finding magic lamps, buried treasure, or streets paved with gold. Today, we know that it’s up to us to change our lives. And the best part is, if we change our own life, we can help others change theirs. This remarkable book will start you on your way.

©2012 Chris Guillebeau (P)2012 Random House

Critic reviews

"Thoughtful, funny, and compulsively readable, this guide shows how ordinary people can build solid livings, with independence and purpose, on their own terms.” (Gretchen Rubin, author of the number-one New York Times best seller The Happiness Project)

"The $100 Startup is a twofer: It's a kick in the pants to get started on your dream and a road map for finding your way once you begin. If you're not ready to launch your own business after reading this book, you need to go back and read it again!" (Daniel H. Pink, New York Times best-selling author of Drive and A Whole New Mind)

"In this valuable guide Chris Guillebeau shows that transforming an idea into a successful business can be easier than you think…. You are in charge of which ideas deserve your time, and this book can help you wake up every morning eager to progress to the next step." (Tony Hsieh, New York Times best-selling author of Delivering Happiness and CEO of Zappos.com)

Required Reading for Entrepreneurs!

This book has a wealth of valuable information about how to start and grow a small/micro business. As a new entrepreneur, it is helping me build confidence and take action. You could read this book today and start your business tomorrow!

Motivating Storey

Would you consider the audio edition of The $100 Startup to be better than the print version?

It was for me because I spend so much time in my car

Who was your favorite character and why?

The author because he was the on relating the story

Which scene was your favorite?

I was inspired by the man who lost his job and started a mattress business

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No

Any additional comments?

No

great book

great book. I will recommend to everyone. Thank you so much. very motivating. yeah. yeah.

Very informative & well organized

I enjoyed it and thought it was very useful. I plan on buying a hard copy as well so that I can take time reviewing the parts that I was particularly intrigued by.

Eh just anecdotal stories but still good

Nothing amazing but nonetheless insightful. Narration seemed harsh in tone and robotic which was unfortunate

I’m always learning something new

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but I learned what it was so I just was learning something new about business and now I know a little more about running a business

Motivating to start and follow your passion

It is a great book; it motivated me and encouraged me to continue with my own business. I combined both, the audiobook and the ebook, so I could read it faster. It kept me interested all the time with all the stories and tips to be used in a daily basis. I felt identified with most of the people in the book, and really liked that the author spent a lot of time researching and interviewing real and average people like me.

There is just one thing that I did not like, and that is that in some cases the author underestimated the initial investment required by an entrepreneurship needs to start a business without having a job: I might not need thousands of dollars to start up a business, but if someone doesn’t have a job and a fix income what about the cost of living and other regular expenses?, this should be added to the initial investment as labor cost or payroll at least for yourself.

That's what I did

If you could sum up The $100 Startup in three words, what would they be?

a valid approach to starting a business

What did you like best about this story?

I like the fact that he emphasized another route to starting a business. Most people think you just need an idea, then get a bunch a money from an angel, investor or bank (selling part of your non-existent company or going into debt), then you hit it big. The approach in the book is much more realistic. Start something small, grow it and self fund your growth.

What about Chris Guillebeau and Thomas Vincent Kelly ’s performance did you like?

The story telling was inspiring and well done.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The most moving point was the story of the guy that had the solid successful job, then was suddenly laid off and accidentally fell into his own business by just getting involved with something.

Good info, but needs a new narrator

Would you consider the audio edition of The $100 Startup to be better than the print version?

Enjoyed the info, some new stuff, and some stuff that I've heard before. The only problem I had with the audio, was that the narrator sounded like a robot voice, answering machine voice or an automated voice that you get when dialing an 800 number.

How could the performance have been better?

Different narrator

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

When robots make money

It’s Well Written But Concept Flawed

Great informative read in terms of having so many case studies on different entrepreneurs. Just not as informative or useful in today’s time or for long term success. I recommend reading MJ Demarco’s book Unscripted instead for a true look into freedom and entrepreneurship.